Wrestling medals and trophies should reflect all athletes. Inclusive designs help girls feel seen, welcomed, and value.

I’m a 10-year-old girl who wrestles. I train hard, compete hard, and I love this sport.

On International Women’s Day, I won first place at a tournament. I was proud… until I looked closely at my medal. The wrestlers engraved are boys.

I started checking my medals at home, and I noticed the same thing again and again: boys are shown on all my awards.

 

It made me feel like girls are not fully recognized in wrestling, even when we earn the same victories.

 

This isn’t just about a picture.
It’s about the message that picture sends.

When girls only see boys on medals, trophies, logos, and symbols, it quietly tells us that wrestling is “for boys,” and girls are just visiting. That message can push girls away from sports, even when we work just as hard and belong just as much.

Representation matters. By age 14, girls drop out of sports at higher rates than boys. Feeling unseen or unsupported is one of the reasons. When girls can see themselves in a sport, they are more likely to join, stay, and believe they belong.

We can change this with one simple step: make awards inclusive.

What we’re asking for:
We ask tournament organizers, wrestling associations, and medal/trophy vendors to:

1. Adopt inclusive award designs
2. Use gender-neutral wrestling imagery, or include both girls and boys in medal/trophy designs.
   Make inclusive options the standard. Require vendors to offer inclusive designs for girls’ and women’s divisions (and ideally for all divisions).
3. Implement this starting next season. Set a clear timeline (within 6–12 months) for tournaments to transition to inclusive awards. 

Call to action
Please sign and share this petition so every girl who wins can see herself reflected in her victory.

Because girls belong in wrestling, and our medals should show it.

What we engrave in metal, we engrave in minds. Let’s make that message equal.